Art of retting flax.



UNITED STATES P Bmuumrm s. SUMMERS, or

PORT mmon, MICH um.

ART OF BETTING FLAX.

No Drawing. Application filed August 26,

To M whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. linrrrnxmn H Hunk MERS, a citizen of the mun-(1 Status. resuling at Port Huron. county of St. (lluir. and State of llliihigun, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the Art of .lletling Flux, of which the following is u specification. i

My.invcntion rrlutos more -mrticulurly to What 1114!)" he lvi'nuul an artificial prowess of rotting l whirl! the results oonin'ionly v oted in unturul rr-ttlngg urr oliluinwl. As isknown the natural rotting is brought about by exposing tlullufi: to the viii-(ls of Water in nnturul streams or ponds. or ivy spimuh ing it on tho field :nul exposing il in llic weather.

In rotting by the natural nn-lhoi ret'vi ml to above. a species of ferumntztlion lakes place. This fermentation uilrols the gunnny or poctose matter so as to render the separation of the fiber from the woolly tissue comparatively easy. It is also probable that side by side with the fernicrlution process hydrol isis occurs. The resultingproduct from these effects is a mu, lustrous fiber for the production of linens, twincs and threads, irrespective of the precise nature of the reactions by which it is brought about.

Various methods of artificial rotting have been proposed heretofore and some of tlwm actually resorted to with iinliflereut surcess. Among these methodsthe use of an alkaline solution is most con'unon. Alkaline ri-ftiugij liquors possess certain objectionable fen.- tures which have been discow-reil in Conner tion with such processes, and this is particularly true where the alkaline liquor is of considerable strength. The use of such an alkaline liquor renders the woody tissues pliable and dillicult to remove, detracts from the strength of the fiber, and seriously of fects the spinning quality of the same.

Likewise mineral acids have been tricrl, with poor results, as the flher must possess certain ualitios which are obtained from the waxllIG ingredients of the plant which appear to be more or less eliminated by min eral acids. Strong treatments of this kind failed. to give the quality to the fiber that the natural process does.

I have discovered that certain organic acids possess the property of rotting the flux, at the same time renderin the woody tissues brittle. In fact, a solution containing organic acids may be prepared so that the ilex Specification of Letters Patent.

each l Patented An". 28, 1917.

1913. Serial No. 786482.

may be treated with them at high tempera,- iurus such as mu)- he obtained in a closed vessel under pressure.

1 have discovered that if the raw flax is treated. with an alkali in the proper proportion, an organir acid is obtained from the flux. which will produce sul stuntiully the som results us uuturul rotting. While I may use several of the well known :rllialis. such as ('ilillOllnlu of soda or potash. or the hydrutr of soda or p tash. I prefer to use the sulli'l of ,an alkali. {or 'ilm l'(ii S0l llmt thi pnriirulzu rimgrul Q'lVW- n lllFOl of much lluttul' quality. I learn Lily-marred that it about two pounds; of .his ullmli is used with 10!} pounds ol this. wn l rliicieni Water to entirelv submerge {he flux under treatment and flusumo hrutwl preferably," t boiling. (ho alkaline r :tion soup disappears and acids result. in furl this urid or acids are So quickly formed that this preliminary operution run he coniliined with the retting operation proper, that is, the same flax used for preparing the acid can be rettcd in the acid although the r sults obtained are not as good as when flux is treated. with a solution previously prepared as shore.

l have also discoverml that it is very deiruhlc lo carry on this operation under w-ssnre and prefer in cool; the flex unrler u. pressure or fllfi il t 5 pounds per square inch. ftlll'zfillgll this; prev-ro may he varied to a wry mnsidrirahlc d The pressure greatly shortens the ll of time required to luring shout llu. rum:

After the solution ih' thus formed it may he used over and o er again. although in prefer to odd :1 quantity of S111' tirl equivalent to about 2 per cent. of the weight of the flex, though this proportion may be varied somrwlmt, according to the condition of the flax. I usually prefer to use the llmrin the broken form, or after the straw has been pm; :(l through a. brake of some kind. for example corrugated roll. here the Hex straw has been threshed, .a. somewhat less proportion of alkali may e used. i

The flux is preferably cooked under 50 pound pressure for 4 hours, when it is suitably washed and. may be soured. It is th dried, and the remainin Woody, tissue re- While I have specifically described a process in which my invention may be car ried into effect, it is understood that the detailed disclosure is for the purpose of exemplifieation only, and that the scope of the invention is to be determined from the following claims in which I have endeavored to distinguish it from the prior art so far as known to me without abandoning or relinquishing any portion or feature thereof.

I claim:

1. A' method of retting flax which consists in treating a batch of raw flax with a dilute solution of alkali, and heating thereby forming an acid solntionj then treating another batch of flax with the solution so formed for the purpose of rotting the same.

2. A method of rotting flax which consists in treating a batch of raw flax with a dilute solution of alkali and heating to form a dilute solution of organic acids, and then treating another batch of flux with the acid solution so formed for the purpose of retting the same.

A method of retting flax which consists in hydrolizing a batch of flux in a weakly alkaline solution under heat to form an acid solution, and then treating a second batch of flax with the solution so formed for the purpose of rotting the latter;

4. A method of retting flax which consists in heating the same in a dilute solution of a feeble alkali. obtaining thereby a dilute acid solution and then cooking tne mix to be rotted in said solution in a closed vessel under pressure.

5. A. method of rotting flax which consists in forming a dilute solution of organic acids by treating flax with a dilute solution of an alkali and then cooking the flax to be rotted in said solution under pressure.

6. A method of rotting hast fibers which consists in forming an acid solution by treating the same with a dilute solution of a weak alkali ,and then cooking said fibers in said solution.

7. A method of rotting bast fibers which consists in forming an acid solution by treating the same with a dilute solution of a Weak alkali and then cooking said fibers in said solution at a pressure of about fifty pounds.

8. A method of rotting llax which consists in forming an acid solution by treating flax plants with a dilute alkaline solution and then heating the flax to be rotted under pres-- sure with such solution.

9. The process of rotting flax fiber whirl) c nsists in treating the flax by boiling it under pressure with water containing two per cent. by weight of the flax of sulfid of an alkali. under pressure.

BERTRAND S. SUMMERS.

\Vitnesses D. D. Bnown, Gus'rAv HILL. 

